The species name means sorrowful or mournful, perhaps because the wings of both male and female seem to be draped in mourning crepe.

Numbers

One of 24 Nearctic species in the genus.

Identification

Mature males have a large basal area of brown on each of the four wings, and each wing also has a whitish area roughly at the middle. Their brown bodies become increasingly pruinose (whitish) as they get older.

Females and immature males have the same brown wing bands as the mature males, but not the whitish areas. Wings usually have a brown tip. A dorsal view of the abdomen shows a brown band at center with a yellow stripe running along each side.

Range

Found across most of the United States except the Rocky Mountain region. The range continues southward across the Mexican border. The Widow Skimmer has been reported from four Canadian provinces: Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

Habitat

Most commonly found at lakes and ponds, sometimes at streams, and sometimes well away from water.

Season

Most commonly seen in the Summer, but in Spring and Fall as well in warmer areas.

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